Project Manager

Damen Song Cam Shipyard (DSCS) is a modern shipbuilding facility within the Damen Shipyards Group, delivering a wide range of vessels for international customers. DSCS executes both standard and Engineer-to-Order (ETO) projects, combining detailed engineering, procurement, production, commissioning, and delivery activities.

The Project Management Department plays a key role in achieving project objectives by leading cross-functional teams and coordinating activities across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Quality, Finance, and Commissioning.

Project Managers are responsible for ensuring vessels are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and in compliance with contractual, class, flag, and quality requirements. The role requires strong leadership, stakeholder management, project control, risk management, and customer focus.

DSCS continuously pursues operational excellence through digitalization, data-driven decision making, Lean principles, and continuous improvement initiatives. Project Managers are expected to contribute actively to these objectives while ensuring customer satisfaction and sustainable business performance.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE JOB OF PROJECT MANAGER

Accountable for the successful delivery of assigned vessels in a safe, timely, cost-effective, and quality-compliant manner, ensuring full adherence to contractual, class, statutory, and customer requirements.

Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary project teams through influence, collaboration, and effective stakeholder management across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Planning, Quality, Finance, Commissioning, and Customer organizations.

Drive project performance through proactive risk and opportunity management, data-driven decision making utilizing digital performance management tools, effective customer engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the project lifecycle from contract handover to vessel delivery and warranty closure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/ ACTIVITIES

Team management

- Actively lead the team in his span of control towards realization of department objectives, targets and initiatives.

- Enforce the awareness and compliance with the company Rules, Regulations and Procedures.

- Monitor the workload and define the recruitment necessities. Interview job applicants and decide various types of labor contracts application.

- Identify and propose various Training necessities of his team members.

- Assess performance of employees in line with organizational policies.

Planning

- The Project Manager is accountable for ensuring that all project activities are planned, coordinated, monitored, and executed in accordance with contractual milestones and company objectives.

- Support portfolio planning by providing resource forecasts, identifying capacity constraints and coordinating priorities across multiple projects.

- Report on regular base to the senior management the status.

Functional

- Actively lead the project team (in the boundaries of the company rules, regulations, procedures)

- Facilitate and coordinate all activities concurring to project realization (hull plus Outfitting)

- Ensure engineering deliverables are released according to project milestones and actively manage technical changes, assessing impacts on cost, schedule, production efficiency, and contractual obligations.

- Coordinate information packages for production

- Accountable for templatizing the allocated ship type

- Monitor critical procurement packages and long lead items. Lead recovery actions for delayed deliveries and ensure material readiness supports the production and commissioning plan.

- Support production flow by coordinating engineering, procurement and production readiness. Escalate bottlenecks impacting the agreed build sequence and project milestones.

- Decision maker in case of conflicts, rescheduling, extra works, etc.

- Ensure commissioning, harbour acceptance tests and sea trials are planned and executed in accordance with contractual and class requirements.

- Accountable for the overall quality of the vessel. Production is responsible for create quality, QC check.

- Validate remarks in Rdrive and reallocate it.

- Maintain project risk and opportunity registers. Develop mitigation plans and proactively report significant project risks to management.

- Utilize digital tools and dashboards to monitor progress, productivity, cost performance, forecast accuracy and project risks.

- Act as the primary customer interface and maintain positive stakeholder relationships throughout project execution, acceptance, delivery and warranty phases.

- Contact person for Client representatives and or client site teams

Financial

The Project Manager is accountable for the financial performance of assigned projects and shall:

Budget & Forecast

• Own project budget from contract handover through project closure.

• Prepare and maintain monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC).

• Continuously forecast final project result and cash flow.

• Ensure forecast accuracy within agreed company tolerance.

Cost Control

• Monitor project cost performance against budget.

• Analyze cost deviations and define corrective actions.

• Monitor:

o Engineering hours

o Production hours

o Rework hours

o Material consumption

o Subcontractor costs

o Commissioning & trial costs

For DSCS, where MES and Power BI data are available, this should become a core PM responsibility.

Change & Variation Management

• Identify potential contract variations early.

• Quantify cost and schedule impacts.

• Coordinate VTC/change order preparation.

• Ensure recovery of additional costs from customers where contractually possible.

Margin Protection

• Protect project gross margin through proactive management of:

o Scope changes

o Design changes

o Delays

o Material escalation

o Supplier claims

Financial Reporting

• Present project financial status during Management Review meetings.

• Escalate financial risks promptly.

• Maintain financial transparency toward stakeholders.

Improvement

Facilitate project lessons learned reviews and contribute to the standardization of project management practices, templates and reporting tools.

Communication/ Cooperation

- Communicates clearly, effectively, and professionally with customers, suppliers, management, and cross-functional teams.

- Translates complex technical, commercial, and operational issues into clear actions and decisions.

- Builds strong collaborative relationships across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Quality, Finance, and Commissioning departments.

- Facilitates constructive discussions and resolves conflicts to maintain project progress.

- Adapts communication style to different audiences, including customers, senior management, and shop-floor personnel.

- Promotes transparency, teamwork, and knowledge sharing throughout the project lifecycle.

- Ensures timely escalation of risks, issues, and decision requirements.

- Keeps stakeholders informed of project status and key risks.

- Encourages collaboration and accountability within multidisciplinary project teams.

- Listens actively and considers different perspectives before making decisions.

- Creates alignment between project objectives and departmental priorities.

- Maintains positive customer relationships, even during challenging project situations.

Expertise

Possesses strong technical, commercial, and project management knowledge. Applies expertise in shipbuilding, planning, cost control, risk management, and contract execution to support effective decision-making and successful project delivery.

Leadership

Leads multidisciplinary project teams and stakeholders towards successful vessel delivery by providing direction, making informed decisions, creating accountability, fostering collaboration, and continuously improving project execution. Demonstrates ownership, customer focus, and the ability to influence without formal authority

Teamwork

Works collaboratively across departments and stakeholders, fostering cooperation, trust, and accountability to achieve project and organizational objectives.

Problem solving

Proactively identifies, analyzes, and resolves project issues. Applies structured thinking and sound judgment to develop effective solutions that minimize impact on safety, quality, schedule, cost, and customer satisfaction.

Working under pressure

Maintains performance, composure, and decision-making quality under tight deadlines, changing priorities, and challenging project conditions while ensuring project objectives are achieved.